BRUTAL SIMPLICITY

mday · July 3, 2008, 9:01pm

Bunny,
I am doing the WS4SB program and it is a great program. However, based on your size/strength/endurance, I really think you could handle a more traditional PL type workout.

Losing weight for you is probably more about adding in a few more cardio sessions and tweaking the diet a bit. You will still need to keep your calories fairly high due to the muscle mass that you are carrying. Your goal would be to get those calories as clean as possible and watch carbs (total and timing).

As far as cardio goes, think about some strongman type stuff. DZ does some great stuff and it is extremely hard work. I know you mentioned that you were interested in this type of thing.

bunny7568 · July 5, 2008, 3:13pm

[quote]mday wrote:
Bunny,
I am doing the WS4SB program and it is a great program. However, based on your size/strength/endurance, I really think you could handle a more traditional PL type workout.

Losing weight for you is probably more about adding in a few more cardio sessions and tweaking the diet a bit. You will still need to keep your calories fairly high due to the muscle mass that you are carrying. Your goal would be to get those calories as clean as possible and watch carbs (total and timing).

As far as cardio goes, think about some strongman type stuff. DZ does some great stuff and it is extremely hard work. I know you mentioned that you were interested in this type of thing.[/quote]

Have been eating really really clean last 5 days… feel awesome! Energy levels stupid high!

Had a hockey game Thursday… moving like I was 21 again… strength and speed baby! Had a couple of guys comment on how surpised how agile I was… which is funny cuz finesse is not my forte.

265 pounds driving to the net… goalie was scared shitless. Windup from the blueline for a slapshot, guys were scrambling to get outta the way.

Think I may have to go back to a wooden hockey stick… currently using a composite stick with minimal flex, but when I really hammer it, the stick feels like a wet noodle in my hand during the follow through. Broke 2 sticks in the last 3 games, getting to be an expensive hobby.

bunny7568 · July 5, 2008, 3:16pm

[quote]skidmark wrote:
Dood -

Do what I’m doing. With your base you will get stupid strong.[/quote]

I am yours to do with what you please, Obi Skid Kenobi. (Well… not anything, pervert!)

You lead, I will follow you into the deepest darkest bowels of hell…

Where do I start…

skidmark · July 5, 2008, 6:09pm

Here’s what I do:

Upper Day
off
Lower Day
off
Assistance Day
off

Upper Day
First Movement - Bench Press of some sort. Possibilities are:
Incline press at various heights
Floor Press
Flat bench
Manpon Press
Pin Presses at various heights

I’ve been doing singles but it’s becoming counterproductive. 3x3, 3x5, 5x5 or max triples and 5’s with singles held back for testing

Second movement - high rep full range bench variation with no lockout
Can use DB or BB and shoot for 30 reps

3rd Movement - triceps
standard 3x5 5x5 3x8 in whatever works for you.

Abs

Lower Day
Alternate each session between Squat variation and rack pulls as main movement
Same set/rep scheme as above.

Follow the main movement with a 15 rep opposite. So if squat is main movement, do a 15 rep sets of a DL variation. If Rack pull is main movement, do a 15 rep set of squats.

Abs and possibly grip if not feeling destroyed.

Assistance Day (Go crazy Day)
Main movement: Shoulder pressing variation 3x3,3x5,max 3 or 5 - adjust to how beat up you’re feeling.

Second Movement: High rep shoulder press full range going for 15-30

After that - whatever you really like for back and biceps or what ever you feel needs working on to support the main lifts

All pretty simple, but very demanding. I used to do a lot of volume and my progress stopped, even though I didn’t feel wiped out. I started doing the above and my lifts are climbing. Except for lower, the main movements are generally partials, so a power rack is a necessity as you can go quite a bit heavier on partials. You make up for the lack of ROM by doing the explosive burn set after the main movement - you try to move that bar as fast as possible - no lockout and no stopping for as long as possible until you hit target reps.

skidmark · July 5, 2008, 6:14pm

[quote]bunny7568 wrote:

Have been eating really really clean last 5 days… feel awesome! Energy levels stupid high!

Had a hockey game Thursday… moving like I was 21 again… strength and speed baby! Had a couple of guys comment on how surpised how agile I was… which is funny cuz finesse is not my forte.

265 pounds driving to the net… goalie was scared shitless. Windup from the blueline for a slapshot, guys were scrambling to get outta the way.

Think I may have to go back to a wooden hockey stick… currently using a composite stick with minimal flex, but when I really hammer it, the stick feels like a wet noodle in my hand during the follow through. Broke 2 sticks in the last 3 games, getting to be an expensive hobby.

[/quote]

LOL!Must look like a freakin’ rhinoceros is about to run him over from his perspective.

Capacity · July 6, 2008, 3:43pm

[quote]skidmark wrote:
I think I’ve said this before, but getting ugly strong is not a process of merely expending energy. It’s a matter of marchaling your energies correctly and with focus.

In order to get strong, you have to stay away from overtraining. You’ve can’t make yourself so weary that you can’t recover from it.

Body composition is changed with diet to a large extent. Remove carbs from your diet (pastas, doughnuts, rice and stuff) and focus on getting any carbs from veggies and fruit. Get your energy from fats.

When you start taking in fats and reducing carbs, the body thinks that the time for retaining fat for the lean times is over and actually starts burning body fat for fuel.

You’ve seen my (crummy) pictures. I look like I do not because I restrict calories, but because of the nature of the calories I eat. Meat (fatty as possible), veggies and fruit.

You won’t lose muscle, because by lifting weights you’re signaling your body that it needs to hold on to muscle tissue, so it will preferentially burn fat as an energy source rather than muscle tissue.

Eating this way doesn’t preclude eating carbs. I eat a maple bar or a plate of spaghetti whenever I get a strong craving. I just don’t do it as a rule.

Look at DoggCrapp training for what I’m talking about on the training front. The idea there is to do 1 movement per bodypart, hit it as hard as possible in that one set, and then let it recover. The guys following it (and you may be a good candidate) get ungodly strong and jacked. But they aren’t doing that much work per bodypart in terms of volume.

I’m of the opinion these days that it doesn’t matter what you do in training so long as you can eat and sleep your way out of it. When you can’t do that then the training needs to be adjusted.

In other words, there’s no magic routine. You have to know your recovery capacity and always operate within it. It’s better to be conservative in training (I’m speaking of volume here) so you can be sure of recovering in time to train again.[/quote]

I just want to say … what Skid said!

I’ll add that it’s not just about recovering well, but staying healthy, injury-free and psyched to train for a long time to come. Too much volume can create mental burnout and physical wear and tear, which lifters in their 4th decade of life (and up) really can’t afford to have.

Good post, Skidmark!

Cappy

bunny7568 · July 6, 2008, 5:56pm

July 5th- New Routine Start!

OK… I don’t know… this whole routine took me 50 minutes in total, including my warm-up. I hope I followed this correctly… but here it is. I did have fun though! Felt wierd not going to failure on the first few sets…

UPPER

INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS
Bar- warmup, getting the groove on
135xlots (warmup)
225x5
225x5
225x5 (too light?)
235x5
235x5
+10 pounds next time I think

I am confused at this point… am I supposed to do 30 reps light bench movement full range of motion… is this 30 reps in one set… or however many sets it takes to complete 30 reps??? So… I did both… lol!

DECLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS
225x12
225x9
225x9
is this right?

FLAT BARBELL BENCH PRESS
135x30
… or is this right?

SEATED DUMBELL SKULL CRUSHERS
100x8
110x8
120x5 (PR +10lbs and reps- never went this heavy before!)

ABS- CABLE ROPE CRUNCHES SUPERSETTED WITH HANGING LEG RAISES
70x20–10
90X10–10
110X8–10
130X4–8

And… finito!

I don’t know what I am gonna do today… bored outta my skull… wash and wax the cars, walk the dog… perhaps a bike ride.

bunny7568 · July 8, 2008, 8:24pm

JULY 6TH
Yard work, washed the cars, walked the dog and stuff…

JULY 7TH
LOWER
SQUATS ME
barx warmup
135xyep- lots
225x8 warmup
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
–the first 2 sets my form felt “off” and the weight felt heavier than normal… wtf?!
I was going to do 3 sets of 3 @ this weight, but when I missed 3 reps my first set… I had to be punished.

FRONT SQUAT ME (narrow stance- first time ever doing these)
135x8 (too light)
225x5
225x5
225x5
135x8

DEADLIFTS DE (conventional)
315x15 reps (switch grip each rep)

*I know these are supposed to be “speed reps”, but I was also told to “set up” proper after each rep. So, each rep was done as fast and explosive as possible, then I would step back, re-approach the bar and set up, complete the rep. So, 10-15 seconds between 15 explosive reps. Is this the way it is supposed to be done?

AB WHEEL SUPERSETTED WITH BALL CRUNCHES
3 sets supersetted to failure

DONKEY CALF RAISES
8 plates (360 lbs + bw) x5 sets- 104 reps

So, there is the “LOWER” day. I incorporated another “ME” movement (as you can see) as per instructions of MEAT.

j_willy3 · July 8, 2008, 8:36pm

Damn bunny, you make me tired! Good workout!

skidmark · July 8, 2008, 8:40pm

[quote]bunny7568 wrote:
JULY 6TH
Yard work, washed the cars, walked the dog and stuff…

JULY 7TH
LOWER
SQUATS ME
barx warmup
135xyep- lots
225x8 warmup
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
–the first 2 sets my form felt “off” and the weight felt heavier than normal… wtf?!
I was going to do 3 sets of 3 @ this weight, but when I missed 3 reps my first set… I had to be punished.

FRONT SQUAT ME (narrow stance- first time ever doing these)
135x8 (too light)
225x5
225x5
225x5
135x8

DEADLIFTS DE (conventional)
315x15 reps (switch grip each rep)

*I know these are supposed to be “speed reps”, but I was also told to “set up” proper after each rep. So, each rep was done as fast and explosive as possible, then I would step back, re-approach the bar and set up, complete the rep. So, 10-15 seconds between 15 explosive reps. Is this the way it is supposed to be done?

AB WHEEL SUPERSETTED WITH BALL CRUNCHES
3 sets supersetted to failure

DONKEY CALF RAISES
8 plates (360 lbs + bw) x5 sets- 104 reps

So, there is the “LOWER” day. I incorporated another “ME” movement (as you can see) as per instructions of MEAT.
[/quote]

Perfect. Nice work BunZilla. Speed refers to how fast the movement itself is executed. 10-15 sec still puts you in oxygen deficit, so you’ll still get the improvement in muscle metabolism. Wouldn’t worry about it. As it gets natural to you, you’ll go faster anyway.

Doubles are allowed and work as well as triples. Next time you’ll be able to do triples, if I know you.

bunny7568 · July 8, 2008, 9:23pm

Perfect. Nice work BunZilla. Speed refers to how fast the movement itself is executed. 10-15 sec still puts you in oxygen deficit, so you’ll still get the improvement in muscle metabolism. Wouldn’t worry about it. As it gets natural to you, you’ll go faster anyway.

Doubles are allowed and work as well as triples. Next time you’ll be able to do triples, if I know you.

Thanks Willy/ Skid
Yeah, I was suckin’ wind near the end of those DL’s.

j_willy3 · July 8, 2008, 11:19pm

Bunny, no need to thank me. We both started this journey about the same time, and from post 1 of your log, i am amazed at your strength. Like I say again and again, Damn you’re strong!

skidmark · July 9, 2008, 6:04am

[quote]skidmark wrote:
bunny7568 wrote:
JULY 6TH
Yard work, washed the cars, walked the dog and stuff…